Sciatic and Posterior Pelvis Pain

Pregnancy is a literal pain in the butt.

I've been having lower back pain intermittently throughout the entire pregnancy but last weekend, I overdid it at a Yard Sale and by the end of Sunday, I couldn't walk. (Bright side: We did sell a lot of stuff!)

It felt like a stabbing pain in my upper buttock and lower back.  Previously I had just assumed it was sciatic pain and when the back pain worsened on Sunday, I thought it was the same thing.

I got off my feet for most of the next day but the pain continued even when I would lay down and eventually, any movement in my leg would trigger the pain.  DH, who has had sciatic pain before, walked me through some sciatic nerve stretches to see if they would help and they most definitely made everything worse. 

After a bit more research, and a lot more pain, I found that my current ailment was probably  not Sciatica but more likely as Posterior Pelvis Pain.  As the Relaxin (the pregnancy hormone that causes joints to loosen) goes through the body, especially in the last trimester when the pelvis starts to open to make room for childbirth, the body can get misaligned and many pregnant women will experience Posterior Pelvis Pain.  Sciatic stretches will not help.


After calling Labor and Delivery (who told me Tylenol, a heat pack and staying off my feet should help) and contacting my OB (who offered to put me on bed rest so I could stay home from work), I realized they had no solutions.  I had to do something!

I made an appointment with a chiropractor who specializes in pregnancy issues and a prenatal massage appointment with a therapist who specializes in third trimester prenatal massage.

Dr. Kam, of Kam Chiropractic, evaluated my pain, confirmed that it was pelvic related pain, did a couple of adjustments and recommended pelvic tilts to strengthen the muscles that would prevent further pain.  Within an hour, I was 80% recovered and able to walk with relatively little pain.

The next day, I had a pressure point prenatal massage that was supposed to release any residual stress on my joints.  I don't feel that was at all effective for pain management, though I did leave the massage relaxed. 

Many women swear by regular visits to the chiropractor during pregnancy to keep their sciatic and other back pain at bay.  Until this week, I was skeptical.  Now, I'm a believer!

What To Pack: The Hospital Bag

 

After finishing our Childbirth Preparation Class, I decided to make my hospital bag checklist.  Here's a conversation I had with my mother about packing Hospital Bags:

Me: I'm going to pack my hospital bag this week.

Mom: Don't pack too much.  There will be no one to watch your stuff while you're sleeping.

Me: DH will be there while I'm sleeping.

Mom: What about when he goes to get food or coffee or something?

Me: There's room service.  Why would he have to leave?

Mom: To go out and get fresh air.  You know, he can't stay in the room all the time.

Me:  Why not?!  I'm going to!

And then I realized something very important.  Even my own mother has different standards for daddies and mommies. 

I'm going to pack a lot of stuff because I'd rather have something I need than send someone out to get it for me!

Here are a few other good resources for Hospital Packing Lists:

Packing list for the hospital or birth center 

Checklist: Packing a Hospital Bag

Hospital Bag – What to Pack

The Great Big Hospital Bag Packing List

 

 

 

Babymoon at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach

I knew that the Babymoon would be good for our marriage but I didn't expect that it would show us just how ready we are for parenthood.  Along with all of those surges of love and affection that come with a little couple's getaway, I had nostalgia over the fleeting simplicity of our current life and a longing to share our vacation experience with the Little One. 

Pregnancy is an interesting ride.

DH and I decided on the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach (HRHB) for our babymoon because it was close enough to home so I could see my OB and go to my hospital of choice if something were to happen but also enclosed and resort-like enough to feel far away from home.  Having a pregnancy friendly spa and amenities didn't hurt either.

Here are some of my favorite things at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach!

Pacific Waters Spa: The Mommy To Be Massage is well worth the trip to this resort!  They're equipped to do stomach down massage and side massage using various combinations of prenatal massage pillows.  Unfortunately, since I'm having side pain and can't stay in one laying position for too long, I didn't get the best massage experience.  I did leave very relaxed and ready for a great weekend but feel like the prenatal massage is better suited for earlier in pregnancy before one is too uncomfortable.  The Pacific Waters Mommy To Be massage, however, is the best prenatal massage I've had during my whole pregnancy.

The amenities, like steam room, sauna and spa are not allowed during pregnancy but the waiting room features a relaxing environment, complimentary tea, flavored waters, baked goods, fruit, snacks and all the women's magazines a girl could want.  

Property Pools: There are multiple pools with their own "personalities" in the resort.  My favorite was the saltwater pool as it was large, easy on the skin and mainly geared towards adults.  DH loved Slyder's pool area because it had a water-slide area as well as a ribbon pool and very fast cocktail service.  Since being pregnant put the water-slide and alcohol off limits, this pool area just seemed crowded with children and people partying in cabanas to me.

Until a little toddler, accompanied by his father, looked at DH and I and joyfully jumped into the pool towards his father's arms repeatedly as if to entertain us.  He was adorable and made me look forward to a trip like this with a baby of our very own.


Huntington Beach Bridge: One of the many perks of staying at the HRHB is the private bridge from the resort to the beach that includes an amenities stand that lends towels, beach chairs, umbrellas and toys to hotel guests.  Instead of having to lug equipment from home for a comfortable beach experience, the hotel provides it all from a convenient place.

DH and I agreed it was nice to have such a carefree experience as we're sure all future beach trips will require a wagon full of baby supplies.

We'll have to wait another 18+ years, if ever, to just be able to take off for the beach with nothing but our swimsuits, towels and chairs and enjoy an order of chili cheese fries from the snack stand on the sand, without worry about a Little One.

Fire Pits and S'mores Kits: Throughout the property, there are fire pits and fire place lounges scattered for guests to have a place to hang out, chat and enjoy the renewing energy of a fire.  Is there anything better than a bonfire at the beach?

Yes, s'mores at a bonfire at the beach.

Lucky for us, easily located near the fire-pits and available through room service, s'mores kits complete with dowels to hold the marshmallows, were available for purchase!  Genius!


Tower 15 Pizzeria: The night before we left for the babymoon, I had a dream about eating pizza in bed.  This is bizarre because I don't love pizza, nor do I like to eat in bed. But I could not shake the pizza craving so for dinner the first night, DH and I split a pizza.  Tower 15 will deliver pizza to anywhere on the property, even to Slyder's Pool, and allows for splitting toppings on the pizza.  California Veggie for me, Meat Lover's for him.

For the record, we ate on the balcony, not in bed.

The Red Chair Lounge: Prior to pregnancy, I enjoyed quite a few inventive cocktails at this lounge.  Between the cigar selection, nightly live entertainment, scotch and wine options, gastropub type finger foods and the game room, Red Chair Lounge is the late night hotspot at the Resort.

DH and I ducked in after dinner for a couple of rounds of tabletop shuffleboard. He's surprisingly good, even with a few drinks in him.  

If I hadn't been so sleepy, we would have played some pool and hung out by the fire and enjoyed the view but my party energy isn't what it used to be.


The Californian Restaurant: Hands down, one of my favorite things to do while on vacation is eat.  No vacation is complete with a high end meal that leaves me with a positive food memory.  This is why it was so important for me to delay my trip until after my severe morning sickness went away!
At HRHB, there are two fine dining options: The Californian and The Patron Room.  
We opted for the Californian because I didn't think a Chef's Menu at the Patron Room would work for me while pregnant with so many food restrictions. 

Plus, what's a Chef's Menu without being able to drink the wine pairing?  Nothing but sadness I say. 

The Californian is open all day and has a seasonal menu.  We had both dinner and Sunday Brunch and both were phenomenal.  I feel the need to emphasis how good their burrata and heirloom tomato caprese salad was despite DH's insistence that it was far too small for a salad. 

We found that on Sunday morning, the best value at the resort was the Sunday Brunch.  Even without the mimosas and Bloody Mary bar, the selection of made to order omelets, waffle bar and other breakfast goodies was quite impressive.  As it should be since Huntington Beach is home to many a popular Sunday Brunch at Spark, Duke's and the Hilton.


We had a relaxing little getaway to remember our pre-baby life and geared up to prepare for post-baby adventures!

Planning a Babymoon

The moment I heard about Babymoons, I knew DH and I would be going on one.  First, because we like to travel but also because unless we book a weekend away, our weekends are quickly booked up with social obligations, work, housework and hobbies with very little time for each other.

I figured the Babymoon would be the last time we would take a trip together where we didn't have a Little One on our mind demanding our attention.  It would be the last low maintenance vacation for at least 2 decades.  And our last chance to reconnect before the flurry of baby preparing activities got underway. 

But when and where?  Well, it turned out that our weekends were booked well into the end of my second trimester beginning of my third. Not at all ideal. It would have to be in June at the latest and close enough so that I wouldn't have to hop on a plane in my third trimester.  I also wanted to be close enough to my OB so if something came up, I would be in reasonable driving distance.

Aside from that, I told DH all I cared about was being able to hang out in a pool, preferably one with a lazy river.  The rest was up to him.

But for those of you booking your own babymoons, here are a few tips:

1. Pick somewhere with a lot of the activities you like to do sober. The Babymoon is likely one of the few times that alcohol isn't part of the vacation festivities.  For some, a trip to Napa might be their favorite getaway but not for someone whose pregnant and can't do any wine tasting.

Likewise, don't pick a place that is known for raucous drinking as the main attraction since there's nothing more annoying than drunk people when you can't have any of that delicious margarita. 

Personally, I like shopping, hanging out on the beach, going to the Spa, swimming and eating good food.

2. Pick somewhere with activities that you're actually allowed to do.  For instance, some people really enjoy snowboarding or surfing.  These activities are generally not accepted for pregnancy because of the potential for injury.

Focus on going somewhere full of pregnancy friendly options.  Full Service Resorts are nice, especially if there are excursions or lots of entertainment available. Camping by a lake or river where you can swim, boat or fish is also a great option.

3. Book for when you're still in the perfect window of time for the activity.  The first trimester is hard to vacation during because of nausea, morning sickness and food aversions.  By your second trimester, you'll need to be able to get up out of your seat (whether it is a car, plane or train) every 1-2 hours making long distance car travel inconvenient.  Cruises won't take pregnant women past 24 weeks.  By the third trimester, any highly active excursions, like hiking or swimming might be difficult given smaller lung capacity. And though you probably aren't thinking about it, you shouldn't get on a plane after 36 weeks anyway. 

We did end up going at the beginning of my third trimester to a resort less than an hour away from home where the main attractions were hanging out by the beach, pool and spa. 

4. Avoid places with questionable food cleanliness standards.  I know a few couples who went on exotic vacations during their second trimester. They all got sick. Normally, eating is a major way to experience a culture.  Step away from the resort buffet and head out to where the locals dine I say!  Do not do this while pregnant. Not only is being sick while pregnant already miserable, the dehydration caused by food poisoning can cause prenatal problems further complicated by the fact that you might be in a location with sub-par medical care. 

5. Go somewhere you have access to 24 hour food and drinks. I love cruising because there's basically food and drinks available all the time.  Many resorts are this way also.  If you're staying somewhere things shut down early (read: sleepy little B&B towns), make sure you pack your own drinks and snacks and have access to refrigeration.   (I have been to hotels that don't have mini-fridges.  That is really inconvenient.)

We packed an entire overnight bag full of drinks (water and low sugar juices), fruit (fresh and dried), snacks (cheese, crackers, etc.) to fill our mini-fridge so I wouldn't have to constantly call Room Service, hit the convenience store or vending machine. This was great for lazy mornings when DH wanted to sleep in and I woke up early ravenously hungry.

And have a good time!

Gestational Diabetes: The 1 Hour Glucose Test

Before we left for the babymoon, I went had my 1 hour glucose test.  Since I live within walking distance of my OB's office and lab, she allowed me to take the glucose drink home and then come in to have my blood drawn an hour later.

So at 8am I took the drink out of the fridge and drank it in minutes.  It tasted like over-sugared orange Kool-Aid.  45 minutes later, DH and I drove to the lab and waited until the hour mark and I had my blood drawn, with a baby's needle because that's how I roll.

After my blood draw, I went to my monthly OB appointment and while the Doctor was performing the ultrasound, I started getting dizzy.  My skin broke out into a cold sweat and I almost blacked out. 10 minutes later I had recovered but for the rest of the day, I was tired and weak.

What a great way to start the babymoon!  As I was headed into get my Mommy To Be massage, I received a message from my OB's office asking for a call back.  They knew I was babymooning and just asked that I call back on Monday.  Of course, I was sure I had failed the 1 hour glucose test. This was confirmed this morning when I checked my test results on my medical records website. My results were 191 while the normal range is 70-130.  That's a huge failure.

And while I'm wallowing in this pity party, feeling like I've failed my Little One before he's even arrived, I've decided to educate myself and come up with an action plan.

What happens after failing the 1 hour glucose test?

In my case, I'll need to go to take the 3 hour test at the lab.  They'll draw my blood for a starting point, I'll drink and even more heavily sugared glucose drink and have my blood drawn every hour for 3 hours.  Based on those results, they'll diagnose whether or not I have Gestational Diabetes.

In some cases, however, if the results to the 1 hour are high enough, depending on the medical group's policy, they may just immediately move to prescribing a diet, monitoring regiment or medication to control the diabetes.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational Diabetes occurs in 18% of pregnancies.  The placenta produces hormones that inhibit the production or effectiveness of the mother's insulin resulting in high blood sugar that is absorbed by the baby. This doesn't really effect the baby until the last trimester when the baby is fully formed.  The excess sugars end up being being stored by the baby as fat.

Though having a fat little baby doesn't sound bad, it can be damaging from birth into the baby's entire life. For instance:

-Large babies can need to be induced early and/or require birth by c-section.
-In the cases of natural birth, large babies can have shoulder damage because they are too large for the birth canal.
-Newborns of mothers with Gestational Diabetes can have low blood sugar as their pancreas produces insulin to deal with the excess sugars. They may also have breathing problems.
-Babies with excess insulin may become obese adults or develop Type 2 Diabetes.


What are risk factors for Gestational Diabetes?

According to the Mayo Clinic:

• Age greater than 25. Women older than age 25 are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.
• Family or personal health history. Your risk of developing gestational diabetes increases if you have prediabetes — slightly elevated blood sugar that may be a precursor to type 2 diabetes — or if a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, has type 2 diabetes. You're also more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you had it during a previous pregnancy, if you delivered a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms), or if you had an unexplained stillbirth.
• Excess weight. You're more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you're significantly overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
• Nonwhite race. For reasons that aren't clear, women who are black, Hispanic, American Indian or Asian are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.

How is Gestational Diabetes treated?

 In most cases, a change in diet and increase in exercise is enough to control blood sugar levels so that it doesn't become a problem.  In more severe cases, oral medications and even injections may be necessary to address the problem.

What am I going to do?

This week, I'll be switching over to a Gestational Diabetes meal plan and increasing my daily exercise from a few times a week to 30-40 minutes daily.

Here's a sample meal plan:

Breakfast

• Two slices whole grain toast
• Two tablespoons of peanut butter
• Half a cup of 100% juice

Mid-Morning Snack

• One apple
• One cup cottage cheese

Lunch

• One cup of lentil soup (or other bean soup)
• One serving of whole grain crackers
• Two ounces of low fat cheese
• One cup baby carrots

Mid-Afternoon Snack

• 20 raw almonds
• One cup grapes

Dinner

• Six ounces of fish of choice
• One cup steamed broccoli
• One cup brown rice
• One cup reduced-fat milk

More more meal plans you can visit Love to Know Diets and Gestational Diabetes at About.com.

Update: I passed my 3 hour glucose test with no signs of Gestational Diabetes!  Hurrah!

On Chinese Superstitions About Cravings

My mom, the superstitious Chinese Grandma, told me yesterday that I should eat EVERYTHING I crave. I asked her "Everything? Even if it's sugary and unhealthy?" and she said "Yes. Have you ever seen those babies that are super drooly all the time? That's because the mom didn't give into her cravings when she was pregnant and now the baby drools over everything he wants." 

So there you go ladies. Eat those cupcakes or your babies will drool.

Picking a Pediatrician When Opting for Delayed Vaccinations

My OB suggested that we start looking at pediatricians now instead of waiting until the baby arrives since I have pretty specific views about delayed and selective vaccinations.  There are apparently two in the Kaiser Medical Office near us, out of eight, that are known to do delayed vaccination.

In my mind, the most important things were the following:

-Will the doctor respect my opinion about the care of my child or will he/she belittle my views and insist on his/her own way?

-Will the doctor take the time to explain his/her position and be well educated on certain vaccines and medical procedures?

-Does the doctor have the kind of bedside manner/demeanor that would be welcoming to children?

Luckily, we're with Kaiser, so I was more focused on the quality and perspective of care rather than the logistics of how the doctor's office handles dealing with my insurance group.

Here are the questions I asked and what he answered:

Do you do delayed vaccinations? Yes.  There is a recommended schedule but delaying is up to you.  The only concern with that is the small window of time you are delaying vaccinations.

How do you handle delayed vaccinations? We can go according to whatever schedule you want.  Some parents come in with a set schedule they want to adhere to.  Others just want to limit the number of vaccinations to 1-2 per visit.  In a scenario like that, you'll go from visits at one every two months to once a month or more.

What if I don't want to vaccinate for certain things like Chicken Pox? It's totally up to you what vaccines you want to skip, however, Chicken Pox can be quite severe.  And vaccines for diseases like Chicken Pox don't hurt the immune system's ability to create a overall stronger immune system, like the common cold or flu vaccine does.

What are the medical decisions I need to make for the baby at birth? The big decisions are the Hep B vaccination and Vitamin K shot.  Hep B is only a concern in case it was missed in the mother. Vitamin K is required if you are going to circumcise but is recommended regardless.

How do you feel about circumcision? The American Academy of Pediatrics recently came out with the recommendation that male babies be circumcised to reduce risk of STD spread, like HPV.  This is of course up to you and doesn't need to be done at birth but is only covered by insurance up to one month after the baby is born.  Anything after that is out of pocket as it is considered elective surgery at that point.

What is the visit schedule after birth? You will come in to visit 3-5 days after the baby's birth to check weight and health.  If the baby is fine, the next appointment is 2 weeks later and then once every month to two months depending on how he's meeting his milestones.

What is the purpose of each visit?   Mainly to make sure the baby is meeting his weight gain requirements and later to discuss developmental milestones.

We decided on him fairly quickly.  He was a reasonably young doctor, laid back demeanor and no ego about him at all. 

If you are with an HMO or PPO, here are some additional questions you might want to ask from The Bump.

[   ] How long have you been practicing?

[   ] Do you have any sub-specialties?

[   ] What are your hours? Do you offer evenings or weekends?

[   ] Do you offer same-day sick appointments? How far in advance do well appointments need to be scheduled?

[   ] What if my baby gets sick when the office is closed? Who covers in an emergency if you aren’t on call?

[   ] Is this a solo or group practice? If it’s solo, who covers when you are gone? If it’s a group, how often will we see you, and how often will we see other members?

[   ] Do you have separate sick and well waiting rooms?

[   ] Do you respond to questions by e-mail? Do you accept calls for routine and non-emergency questions? If I leave a message, how long does it usually take you to return the call?

[   ] Will your initial meeting with my baby be at the hospital or the first checkup? What is your schedule for well baby checkups?

[  ] Will you discuss my child’s general growth and issues like discipline and social development?

[   ] What are your views on… Bottle feeding? Circumcision? Parenting techniques? Getting babies to sleep? Alternative medicine? Antibiotics? Immunizations? Childhood obesity?

[   ] What hospitals do you work with?

[   ] Do you take my insurance? Is there an extra charge for…Advice calls during the day? Advice calls after hours? Medication refills? Filling out forms? Will any other fees apply?

[   ] What are your policies for insurance claims, lab policies, payments and billing?

[   ] What tests are handled in the office, and what is done elsewhere? Where?

On Gravity

It's official, my center of gravity has officially shifted into a position that requires me to waddle. There is no way for me to effectively sashay without looking like a drunk penguin.

On Brevity

Finally, on the cusp of the third trimester, I realized how brief pregnancy really is and how much I'll end up missing it. After all, isn't this the only time that we know exactly where our babies are and that they're safe? And isn't it the only time we can eat cake, blame it on someone else, and hope that someone else grows enough that day to burn off the calories for us?